Oba Rashidi Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, has denied involvement in any plot to unseat Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde. He called the allegation false and misleading. A statement issued by his media aide, Chief Adeola Oloko, emphasized that the throne of Olubadan has no role in state political intrigues. Oba Ladoja described it as illogical to suggest that a traditional ruler holds constitutional power to remove a sitting governor. He noted that even the position of a local government chairman cannot be affected by a traditional ruler. The monarch urged political actors in Oyo State to keep the revered institution of traditional leadership out of partisan conflicts. His statement was issued to clarify his position amid growing political tensions in the state.
Oba Rashidi Ladoja's swift denial of involvement in any move to remove Governor Seyi Makinde exposes the fragile boundary between traditional authority and modern governance in contemporary Yorubaland. The fact that such allegations gained traction at all suggests that public perception still conflates influence with institutional power, even when the constitution draws a clear line.
The Olubadan's emphasis on the non-political nature of his office underscores a recurring tension in Oyo State politics, where traditional figures are often seen as kingmakers despite lacking formal authority. His reference to the inability of traditional rulers to impeach even a local government chairman is not just a legal clarification but a necessary distancing from political actors eager to lend legitimacy to their maneuvers by invoking royal endorsement.
For ordinary residents of Ibadan and Oyo State, this episode reinforces the reality that political rivalries are increasingly fought in the court of public opinion, using symbolic figures as proxies. When traditional institutions are dragged into political narratives, it risks eroding their neutrality and long-standing cultural reverence.
This is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern where traditional thrones are politicized during periods of governance instability, especially in the southwest.
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